Diary | Directory

Editorial Comment ~ Tim Jolly.

A belated Happy New Year to you all. Traditionally this time of year is a quiet time due to the winter weather. However, the Loxwood Lock continues apace with the main brick-laying etc. construction work due to be finished in March. Peter Jackman's lot are continue to work near Utworth Manor and clearance in preparation for surveying work is happening at Beever's Farm

The Wey & Arun relies on its volunteers as the powers that be don't deem it to be important enough to qualify for the multi-million Lottery grants such as that just announced for the Cotswold Canals restoration. Other societies though must be envious of the sheer quantity of WACT volunteer time put in, in the next Wey-South you'll see details of the figures for 2005 and impressive they are too.

By the way, some of the reports here are very similar to the 'Restoration Round-Up' in the next Wey-South (due out in early March)

Please note that, due to illness, the Auction evening due to take place at the Onslow Arms, Loxwood on the 8th of March will now not take place until later in the year.

Could Group Leaders please send me copy on a monthly basis or give me a ring even if there's nothing to report. I know John Wood reminds you for your quarterly Wey-South copy, but inevitably that tends to be about what's happened some time ago rather than more recent stuff and importantly, plans for the future.

Finally, Colin Gibbs has asked me to remind you all that we are still trying to sell Winston's van currently stored at Tickner's Heath. Colin has the details.

TSG Group ~ Eric Walker

(20/12/05)
By the end of November all the scheduled works by the contractors being completed, the canal was refilled in good time for the Santa Cruises to run from the Onslow Arms.

Bricklaying is always at risk of not being done at this time of year due to frost, rain, snow or the shorter days. Despite this, with perhaps six volunteers laying bricks at one time, real change can be seen on a daily basis. When I last looked, the lock wall (opposite the towpath) was half finished and the concrete backfill being put in.

Just before the Christmas break, marker posts were put in to mark the northern edge of the canal when it is restored. This is anticipating work in 2007, but is being done now for the benefit of the adjacent landowner.

Our working parties on Thursdays and Sundays are now being supplemented by an extra working party on Wednesday, so the next working party will be on Wed 4 Jan 2006

(23/01/06)
The brickwork is nearly finished at the new lock at Loxwood as the extra Wednesday parties continue. The wall by the towpath was completed some time ago and we are concentrating on the offside wall. Most weeks this year there have been concrete deliveries. The concrete is pumped across the lock into the space between the brick wall and the back wall. When the walls are complete the next job will be to make the copings. These will be made using concrete mixed on site as it is required and placed into the shuttering. Each coping will be about 8 foot long and 2ft 6in wide, but in locating the copings, account will have to be made for the lock bridge.

M.W.W.P ~ (Peter Jackman

(25/01/06)
The M.W.W.P (or the Team as I like to call them) are still busy at Utworth.

An ecological survey was carried out in November by Dolphin Ecological Surveys, however we actually started work on the 5th of October.

Some stats. Days worked: 17, Hours worked: 1553, highest daily attendance 21 people. Last 6 weeks figures 13/11/21/13/14/15. There are 6 ladies in the Team so it is not all muscle and grunt.

What do we do? We are clearing a previously untouched section of canal. If you want to see what it looks like then the Website has some cracking photographs.

Having cut back the acres of brambles we can then get to the overgrown/fallen/dead trees. These are felled and sawn up. Ash, Oak and some Hawthorn is logged and stacked but the smaller stuff, together with the Willow and brambles is burnt. The record to date is 8 bonfires in one day! Whilst cutting and burning the mud-puddling gang is using a Tirfor winch to pull out the Willows that have fallen and rooted over the years.

Such is our enthusiasm that a recent new member, Valerie Westall, when passing a strop under a submerged trunk, decided to check that the water was wet and promptly fell in! Not just a bootfull that's commonplace but the lot. Willing hands quickly pulled her out and wrapped her in a dustsheet. She went home a.s.a.p. but had to sit in a traffic jam for half an hour due to an accident on the A281 with the attendant diverted traffic. And she only lives in Cranleigh! A picture was taken of the incident keep your eyes peeled.

Recent visitors were the Environment Agency, to remove an ash tree fallen across the Cranleigh stream. As a token of our keep the neighbours happy policy we had cut and logged the rest of the tree some weeks earlier. In removing the trunk they churned up the track round the edge of the field what a mess!

By the time you read this, access may be re-instated in time for the fencing project due to the nesting season 'jungle-bashing' must cease at the end of March.

To close, a brush-cutter course was held on site on the 19th of December, when 6 Trust members taking part. By the afternoon all 6 were in action for the practical part of the course brilliant but noisy! It helped with the scrub clearance though. Our retired marine Designer and Surveyor John Pawsey took a chainsaw course, and John & Janet attended a first aid course as well. Thanks to all the members of the Team you are great to work with.

The work can be as tiring as you wish and you don't have to stay all day. Contact Peter Jackman for more details on 01483 772132.

Winston Harwood's Group ~ Lawrie Wraight

The short days of winter, plus difficult access on foot, have meant that the Group have been deployed temporarily to a site in Bramley, where a possible new canal route is to be surveyed. In very boggy conditions we have cut down trees and shrubs, burning the trimmings.

Monday Group 'Keeping Up Appearances' ~ John Empringham

During the winter months we get the opportunity to tackle some extra work sites which need maintaining to keep them looking good, otherwise it is surprising how fast a cleared and restored section disappears under bramble and undergrowth.

Thanks to quite a bit of hard work we have cleared the full length of the restored canal in Sidney Wood which is about 1¼ miles long. This section is back looking like a restored canal again! This took three separate days with an average of six of us working on brush cutting and clearing the brush/bramble away. We just have the winding hole south of Lock 16 to finish.

We have also cleared from Compasses Bridge to Farnhurst Bridge and beyond on the airfield side, where the fishing section is. Peter Foulger was able to get his tractor and flail in there to cut the overhanging brambles on the steep bank and we've completed the sections where this can't reach together with clearing up and burning all the growth. We have also cleared back the nicely restored Farnhurst Bridge and surrounds and repaired the fencing in many places where it had broken down.

It is pleasing that the new and enthusiastic Monday Group members Barry, Ted and Tim have continued to turn out regularly and this has enabled us to take on yet more work. If there are any more members out there who fancy lending a hand to keep the canal looking good after it has been restored then give me a ring as this will enable us to take on more of the maintenance load.

We are usually out every other Monday throughout the year. Next Scheduled outings in February are Monday 6th and Monday 20th.

Situations Vacant ~ (John Wood 17/10/05)

Vacancies occur from time to time to fill important roles. Can you help fill them?

CONSERVATION OFFICER
We urgently require someone with up-to-date experience of conservation, particularly in a river or canal environment.

MAINTENANCE MANAGER
An important role to manage the ongoing maintenance of already restored sections of the canal, in order to prevent nature reclaiming all the hard work carried out in previous years. The actual maintenance work would be carried out by the appropriate working party.

If you do not attend regularly, please contact the site manager before joining a work party.

MONDAY W P. (Mrs Bucket Group). Details of site from John Empringham.

MONDAYS Winston Harwood Group Normally at Lordings - Details from Lawrie Wraight

MOST TUESDAYS maintenance sessions at Tickners Heath. Check with Colin Gibbs first.

WEDNESDAYS Loxwood Link maintenance. Site details from Peter Wilding.

EVERY WEDNESDAY, THURSDAY and SUNDAY Meet 0930 at the Onslow Arms, Loxwood. Lots of jobs mainly construction. Site details from Eric Walker.

WEDNESDAYS Mid-Week Working Party Details from Peter Jackman

Friday 24th March – 2 p.m. Official unveiling of a Wey & Arun plaque at Wharf Cottage, Station Road, Bramley – followed by a get together at St. Catherine’s School.

John Empringham (Monday Working Party) 01483 562657
Tim Jolly (W P News Editor) 01403 267408 e-mail: tim.jolly@tesco.net
Peter Jackman (Mid-week Working Party) 01483 772132
WACT office (General Enquiries) 01403 752403
Dave Junkison (Lordings Lock & Aqueduct) 020 8941 0685
Peter Wilding (Loxwood Maintenance) 01483 422519
Eric Walker (Loxwood Area) 02392 463025 email:ericwalker@onetel.com
Colin Gibbs (Tickners Maintenance) 020 8241 7736
Don Gibson (Midweek Walks) 01903 201375
Lawrie Wraight (Winston Harwood Group) 01903 721404